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2013 Kim Källström Trophy a Great Success

июля 23, 2013

Special Olympics teams from Costa Rica, Ukraine, Switzerland, Sweden and
Russia topped their division at the 2013 Kim Källström Trophy in Gothenburg Sweden as part of the world youth Cup, The Gothia Cup.

Costa Rica take on Ukraine in the first day of divisioning.

Bigger and Better

Special Olympics teams from Costa Rica, Ukraine, Switzerland, Sweden and Russia topped their division at the world’s largest football tournament this year.

24 Special Olympics teams from 12 countries traveled to Gothenburg Sweden from as far as Costa Rica to Uzbekistan to compete in the Kim Källström Trophy which took place from July 14 – 20. The teams competed in six different divisions according to their ability levels.

The World Youth CupFor the third time the Kim Källström Trophy has formed part of The Gothia Cup, allowing Special Olympics athletes to be included in the world’s largest youth football tournament held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden, open for both boys and girls of ages 11 to 19 years.

The Swedish national team player and Russian top club Spartak Moscow player, Kim Kallstrom, took the initiative himself to provide young people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to be part of the Gothia Cup by including the Special Olympics category.

The Gothia Cup represents the largest football tournament in 2013 with a total of 37.000 players from 75 nations taking part in more than 4.000 games played across six days from 14 till 20 July.

For the first time ever four female football teams were included in the Kim Källström Trophy

From Strength to Strength

Each year the Kim Källström Trophy
grows stronger and stronger and 2013 represented the first time that
female Special Olympics teams participated.

Project Manager of
the Kim Källström Trophy and sister to the Swedish star, Sanna
Källström, expressed her satisfaction with the 2013 event: “One of our
goals was to include female teams and this year we welcomed four female
Special Olympics teams. Next year we hope to have more. Also our event
is becoming more and more international. For the first time ever we
welcomed a team from Latin America and Uzbekistan. We hope that each of
the Special Olympics players return home with life-long memories and new
friends from all over the world.”

On the first day, three rounds
of matches were played and the athletes were observed by a divisioning
committee, made of up Special Olympics experts who decided on the
ability level of each team and group them accordingly into six
divisions.

The finals were played on Thursday at Heden when
Special Olympics Costa Rica beat Special Olympics Uzbekistan in Group 1
and Special Olympics Ukraine beat Special Olympics Hungary in Group 2.
In Group 3 Sweden’s Fässbergs IF beat Grunden Bois Black. In Group 4
Switzerland’s FC ESB beat Special Olympics Netherlands. In Group 5 the
Special Olympics Russia’s female team of Sweden’s Trollenäs IF and in
Group 6 the female team of Sweden’s Husqvarna FF 2 Killa 1 beat Sweden’s
Grunden Bois Girls.

Kim Källström meet the Special Olympics footballers competing in the Kim Källström Trophy.

A Grandmother's Legacy

Kim Källström, attended the Gothia Cup and spent time meeting the Special Olympics teams.

During
this visit he cited his grandmother as the source of his inspiration;
“She worked with children and youths with intellectual disabilities for a
long time. My wish is that as many people as possible will get the
opportunity to be part of the fellowship and joy that football creates.
Taking part in the world’s largest football tournament, the Gothia Cup,
will be a memory for life and will increase respect and understanding of
people with intellectual disabilities.”

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